Stock market moves up last week as does Death Care Index for the 3rd Quarter

By Funeral Director Daily October 6, 2025

    This article from Yahoo Finance will inform you that the major indexes of the American stock market all closed at record highs last Friday.  During the same week the 3rd Quarter of the year closed and the Funeral Director Daily Death Care Index (DCI) reported a close that indicated a 3.60% increase for…

Preneed companies emerge as funeral home lending sources

By Funeral Director Daily October 3, 2025

    Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm that provides a wide range of products and services, including investment banking, wealth management, consumer banking, and brokerage services, recently made this comment in an article, “Life insurance companies have rapidly evolved into influential players in the credit markets.  Their growing footprint is not merely a function…

A couple of recent economic trends. . . Will they affect funeral service?

By Funeral Director Daily October 2, 2025

    Just the other morning I read two articles from Yahoo Finance which showed a couple of trends happening in American society.  The first trend can be read about in this article titled “There are more Americans out of work than their are jobs open for the first time since 2021″.   And the…

Co-op Funeralcare increases “Funeral Plan” sales over 17% despite cyberattack

By Funeral Director Daily October 1, 2025

  An April cyberattack which you can read about here probably cost the parent company of Great Britain’s largest funeral home operator, Co-op Funeralcare, about a US$ 107 million profit swing but didn’t seem to affect the number of funeral plans sold by the company as they increased over 17% from the previous year.  …

News for the Profession

By Funeral Director Daily September 30, 2025

    Sunset continues to redefine their process of finding assets for families.  They recently announced that they have a new website that makes the search for assets even easier. Sunset is a free service who earns their fee from bank partners after discovered assets sit in an estate account. It’s a great service that…

BUSINESS

Daughter completes acquisitions of family’s firms

By Funeral Director Daily | June 4, 2026

    According to this article from the Delaware County (PA) Daily Times Bridget Monaghan Wibble has completed the purchase of the historical Oliver H. Bair Funeral Home that was owned by her father since…

Is the “Choice” of cremation a mirage that may disappear??

By Funeral Director Daily | June 3, 2026

  On a rainy Monday Minnesota morning earlier this week I was doing my run indoors on the treadmill while I watched CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” business news broadcast.  On that show Softbank CEO…

The NFL “Fan Experience” will soon include cremated remains permanent placement

By Funeral Director Daily | June 2, 2026

  This recent article from the Jacksonville Daily Record makes note that the new Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium that will be the home of that franchise in the National Football League (NFL) has agreed to…

FINANCE

Daughter completes acquisitions of family’s firms

By Funeral Director Daily | June 4, 2026

    According to this article from the Delaware County (PA) Daily Times Bridget Monaghan Wibble has completed the purchase of the historical Oliver H. Bair Funeral Home that was owned by her father since…

Funeral homes in Michigan change hands

By Funeral Director Daily | May 26, 2026

  “It’s been a good run.”  That’s what funeral director John Kaatz said according to this newspaper article announcing the sale of four funeral homes that he was associated with.   Kaatz, who succeeded his…

Everstory Partners recognized as a “Great Place to Work” — Again!

By Funeral Director Daily | May 22, 2026

  StoneMor Partners left the world of public companies and was taken private by Axar Capital Management in November 2022.  At the time StoneMor was arguably, by revenue, the second largest company in Death Care. …

REGULATIONS

The advantages of “Involvement”

By Funeral Director Daily | June 1, 2026

  About two weeks ago I decided to take in the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association convention.  Now, I have not attended that particular convention for 5-7 years and decided to this year only because a…

Connecticut budget includes money for victims of allegedly stolen pre-arrangements

By Funeral Director Daily | May 28, 2026

    Earlier this month, as you can read in this article from NBC Connecticut, the legislature of Connecticut passed their state budget which included the “Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices”.  The state appropriated…

Memorial Day 2026 — “Freedom isn’t free”

By Funeral Director Daily | May 25, 2026

    As we stop today to reflect on the memory of not only our military personnel from the Revolutionary War on, we remember that the holiday was officially started to pay respects to those…

CEMETERY

The NFL “Fan Experience” will soon include cremated remains permanent placement

By Funeral Director Daily | June 2, 2026

  This recent article from the Jacksonville Daily Record makes note that the new Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium that will be the home of that franchise in the National Football League (NFL) has agreed to…

Crowne Vault shares initiative creating “a path for permanent placement” of cremated remains

By Funeral Director Daily | May 29, 2026

      Crowne Vault, the Indiana-based company that is a leading presence in serving the Death Care profession with American-made cremation vaults is supporting a new initiative for the profession that hopes to bring…

Memorial Day 2026 — “Freedom isn’t free”

By Funeral Director Daily | May 25, 2026

    As we stop today to reflect on the memory of not only our military personnel from the Revolutionary War on, we remember that the holiday was officially started to pay respects to those…

CREMATION

Is the “Choice” of cremation a mirage that may disappear??

By Funeral Director Daily | June 3, 2026

  On a rainy Monday Minnesota morning earlier this week I was doing my run indoors on the treadmill while I watched CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” business news broadcast.  On that show Softbank CEO…

The NFL “Fan Experience” will soon include cremated remains permanent placement

By Funeral Director Daily | June 2, 2026

  This recent article from the Jacksonville Daily Record makes note that the new Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium that will be the home of that franchise in the National Football League (NFL) has agreed to…

Crowne Vault shares initiative creating “a path for permanent placement” of cremated remains

By Funeral Director Daily | May 29, 2026

      Crowne Vault, the Indiana-based company that is a leading presence in serving the Death Care profession with American-made cremation vaults is supporting a new initiative for the profession that hopes to bring…

PRENEED

Connecticut budget includes money for victims of allegedly stolen pre-arrangements

By Funeral Director Daily | May 28, 2026

    Earlier this month, as you can read in this article from NBC Connecticut, the legislature of Connecticut passed their state budget which included the “Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices”.  The state appropriated…

Consumer Preneed motivations from Homesteaders survey results

By Funeral Director Daily | May 27, 2026

  Preneed insurance provider Homesteaders Life Company released their 8th annual Preneed Motivators survey last week.  According to this press release from which you can download your own copy of the survey results, “. .…

SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing

By Funeral Director Daily | May 11, 2026

  Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company.  As usual Funeral Director…

PRODUCTS

Is the “Choice” of cremation a mirage that may disappear??

By Funeral Director Daily | June 3, 2026

  On a rainy Monday Minnesota morning earlier this week I was doing my run indoors on the treadmill while I watched CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” business news broadcast.  On that show Softbank CEO…

The NFL “Fan Experience” will soon include cremated remains permanent placement

By Funeral Director Daily | June 2, 2026

  This recent article from the Jacksonville Daily Record makes note that the new Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium that will be the home of that franchise in the National Football League (NFL) has agreed to…

Crowne Vault shares initiative creating “a path for permanent placement” of cremated remains

By Funeral Director Daily | May 29, 2026

      Crowne Vault, the Indiana-based company that is a leading presence in serving the Death Care profession with American-made cremation vaults is supporting a new initiative for the profession that hopes to bring…